For most people, the prospect of selling their home can be positively daunting. First of all, there are usually plenty of things to do just to get it ready for the market. Besides the traditional clean-up, paint-up, fix-up chores that invariably wind up costing more than you planned, there are always the overriding concerns about how much the market will bear and how much you will eventually wind up selling it for.

Will you get your asking price, or will you have to drop your price to make the deal? After all, your home is a major investment, no doubt a rather large one, so when it comes to selling it you want to get your highest possible return. Yet in spite of everyone’s desire to get the top dollar for their property, most people are extremely unsure as to how to go about getting it. However, some savvy sellers have long known a little financial technique that has helped them to get top dollar for their property. In fact, on some rare occasions, they have even sold their properties for more than they were worth using this powerful financing tool. Although that might be the exception rather than the rule, you can certainly use this technique to get the most money possible when selling your property.

Seller carry-back, or take-back financing, has proven to be a surefire technique for closing deals. Even though most people do not think about when it comes to selling a property, they really should consider using it. According to the Federal Reserve, there are currently over 100 Billion dollars of seller carry-back (seller take-back) loans in existence. By any standard, that is a lot of money. But most importantly, it is also a very clear indication that more people are starting to use seller take-back financing techniques because it offers many financial benefits to both sellers and buyers. Basically, seller take-back financing is a relatively simple concept. A seller-take back loan is created when a property is sold and the seller performs like a lender by assisting in financing all or part of the total transaction. In effect, the seller is actually lending the buyer a certain amount of money toward the purchase price, while a traditional mortgage company usually funds the balance of the purchase price. A seller take-back loan is secured with the property. The loan then becomes the primary mortgage and is fully secured by the property. In most seller take-back financing transactions, the buyer repays the seller with interest in accordance to mutually agreed terms over a period of time. Usually, the terms call for the buyer to send the payments, consisting of principal and interest, on a monthly basis. This is advantageous because it creates a steady monthly cash flow for the note holder. And if the note holder decides to cash out, he or she can always sell the note for a lump sum cash payment.

Regardless of market conditions, seller take-back financing makes sound financial sense; whereas, it provides both buyer and seller with flexible financing options, makes the property easier to sell at higher price and shortens the sales cycle. It also has the added advantage of being an excellent investment that generates a steady cash flow and high return. If you ever need immediate cash, you can always sell the note through our office. If you are planning to sell a property, then consider the many benefits of seller take-back financing.

Marcos Alvarado named iStar chief investment officer – iStar announced Tuesday that Marcos Alvarado joined the firm as its chief investment officer. Alvarado will serve as a member of the senior executive team where he will oversee originations and growth across the company’s diversified $5 billion investment portfolio. http://ow.ly/m5mM50gEZAn

Case-Shiller: Are home price increases leveling off? – Home prices increased in December at a faster pace than the previous month, however, some signs could be emerging to show a leveling off in home price increases. One expert explained within the last few months, there are beginning to be some signs that gains in housing may be leveling off. http://ow.ly/PdQe50gEZAp

FHFA: Fourth quarter shows no letup in home price appreciation – Home prices increased in December, showing no letup in home price appreciation during the fourth quarter. The FHFA pointed out home price appreciation in the fourth quarter showed absolutely no letup throughout the U.S. http://ow.ly/6Vmo50gEZAo

Hispanic community continues to drive homeownership growth – The Hispanic community continues to drive homeownership growth in the U.S. In fact, Hispanics became the only demographic to have increased their homeownership rate for the last three consecutive years. However, several factors are still holding them back from further homeownership gains. http://ow.ly/MQn450gEZAm

HousingWire launches online career center HousingJobs – At HousingWire, we strive to better serve our highly engaged community and our goal is to connect quality candidates with the best opportunities, while eliminating the white noise found on all other job search and social platforms. Click to read more about HousingJobs.com, our new online career center created exclusively for mortgage and real estate talent. http://ow.ly/iR4T50gE8by

New home sales unexpectedly plummet in January – New home sales decreased significantly in January, falling from 2017’s decade-high pace. Experts explain the drop was unexpected and disappointing, but point out there are still a few reasons to be optimistic in January’s report. http://ow.ly/Sb5w50gE8bA

Rick Sharga returns to Carrington Mortgage Holdings – Carrington Mortgage Holdings announced industry veteran Rick Sharga rejoined the company as an executive vice president. Sharga will serve as Carrington’s primary spokesperson and oversee public relations and communications, as well as branding and marketing for all of Carrington’s companies, the company said. http://ow.ly/OxPD50gE8bz

Monday Morning Cup of Coffee: MBA president slams “defamatory” mortgage industry report – MBA President and CEO David Stevens claps back at a report about the extent of discrimination in lending. Reuters reports surging bonds could “pinch” homeowners and retirees, and we finally learn the identity of the mystery buyer who bought the most expensive home in NYC. Here’s your Monday Morning Cup of Coffee. http://ow.ly/gqHo50gE8bB